The Divine Language by The Generic

The Fifth speak the language of the Mondoshawan, a tongue usually called "the Divine Language."
This language has no linguistic connection to any spoken tongue in the known universe, though
the natives of the Phase World universe will instantly hear similarities between the Divine
Language and Trade Tongue One, which many believe to be a corrupted version of the language
of the lost First Race! This language will sound bizarre but somehow beautiful to any humanoid
listeners, and simply confusing to non-humanoids. The Divine Language may be spoken slowly
(so the speaker can explain things, or to make it easy on a student of the tongue), but its natural
sound is quick and fluid, scaling up into a rapid-fire babble when the speaker is excited or angry.
Any air-breathing species can attempt to learn the Divine Language, but members of any race other
than the Fifth, the Mondoshawan, the Divas, and any shape-shifting species will have a terrible
time trying to learn it; base proficiency is equal to the character's IQ attribute, plus 5% per level of
experience. The Divine Language is the native tongue of the Fifth and the Mondoshawan, and the
Divas have the same amazing proficiency at learning it as they do any other spoken language.
Shape-shifters can change the shape of their vocal chords, cheating slightly on learning how to
make the required sounds; such species double their IQ attribute to determine their base
proficiency. The written component of the Divine Language is a phonetic system, and thus capable
of transcribing any spoken language. It has characters for every sound which it is possible for
humanoid vocal chords to make, resulting in a total of 78 "letters." The method of writing looks a
great deal like human musical notation, and may explain some of the language's more fluid sounds.
Traditionally, the language is written in seven different colors (one for each of the letter groups,
plus black for punctuation; the letters are divided into phonetic categories of thirteen each), but
this can be dispensed with if the writer is in a hurry or simply doesn't care about tradition. Also,
names have great meaning in the Divine Language. Leeloo, the name of the first free Fifth, is a
shortening of a much longer name, Leeloo Mina Lekatariba Laminatcha Ekbat D'Sebat; by itself,
it means "beauty." The name of the race Mondoshawan means both "the guardians" and "the
bringers of light"; this latter name makes some humans edgy around them, remembering that
"Lightbringer" was Satan's title in ancient Earth lore.

Note: A few Divine Language sayings are as followed: "apipoulai," which means "I give you
greetings," or more simply "hello"; "akta gamat" which means "never without my permission";
"mu fryesh akta simoulai," meaning "the action that you just took is offensive to me, and I consider
it to be an evil act," or simply, "you shouldn't have done that; it was wrong"; and "domo danko,"
meaning "thank you very much."

The Divine Language is supposedly the root of all human tongues. It seems to be a mixture of
everything from French to Japanese to Aramaic and maybe even a hint of English. From the looks,
it's really just a complex cipher of French.

Source: [Link]

Translation & Interpretation

Confusing dilemas between Luc Besson's translation, the book, the script and the movie. For
example words like 'Dort' (when she locate fhloston on the screen) is a german word and in the
book it says 'Dot'...also 'Akta' (she is in the cab and just met Korben), Besson says it means 'Fast'
or 'Come-one' as in 'Go ahead...don t waste time!' but what about 'Akta Gammat' then ??? Isn't the
whole thing a bit confusing ? Below are all the words from Luc Besson's book, all the other one to
add to this page are either from the book, the script or the movie itself.

Let's start with the first scene where she speaks:

Mactilburg (the guy at the controls) looks at him (Munro, Korben's old Military friend) with a grin.
A remote-control camera approaches the girl's face, a flash goes off. Blinded by the flash, the girl
jumps and screams. She cowers in a corner, shaking from the cold, eyes darting everywhere
looking for the case she was holding. (here we learn that she was holding the case with the stones,
in case you wondered !)

GIRL (very angry)

Ouacra cocha o dayodomo binay ouacra mo cocha ferji akba ligounai makta keratapla. Tokemata
tokemata! Seno santonoi-aypa! Minoi ay Cheba! Givomana seno!

MUNRO (worried)

What's she saying?

This first sample differs a little from the original script. The word 'Mondoshawan' has been added
at the end of the phrase. The Tokemata word is not repeated and there are some other words that I
am missing !

Then the second sample in the cab, where she explains to Korben what happened to her.

In the original script, there is no description of what she says besides:

VOICE/KORBEN

You have one point left on your [Link] a good day.

Korben sighs and looks in the back seat to see what the damages are. The girl, a bit dazed (who
would'nt be), emerges from the debris and sits up. There's some blood on her face. Korben is
stunned. The girl's still alive and...so beautiful. His heart heads for a meltdown.

GIRL

Akina delutan, nou-shan.

- As I already said, there is no mention of this passage in the original script, so we have to think
that Besson added this bit only for the 'Big Badaboom' thing...anyway.
- I am also thinking that Besson used a lot of Arabic sounding-words in making his language, the
word Tsouk (when she shows the tattoo) sounds a lot like Chuff (or something like that) which
means 'look' or 'look at'.

- After the first sentence, if you notice very carefully, there is a change in the intonation of the
voice, after 'Ligurat' which suggest that the sound was edited after the scene was taken !

Here is what you should read, use it as a reference for pronounciation only since it's not in the
script :

Melaloy-re takhtad asountimon de Mondoshawan Metalkcta ligurat! Isperobera khrasma,

All the word HAVE to start with an Upper-Case.

Most of the time, the first vowel of the word is alway emphasised...example: 'TOpometimbacka'...

All the words ending with 'AI' are pronouced like the word 'Eye'

All the word with 'AY' are pronounced like the 'e' in 'tennis'

The words with 'OY' are pronounced as in 'oil'...'Melalloy-re'

The 'a' in 'Mondoshawan' is prononced like an 'e' (Mondoshewan).

Words with 'J's are pronounced 'Dj'...'Ferji'

Some 'E' are pronounced 'I'...in the script there are also spelling mistakes like 'Leeloo Minaï..' when
she says her name, and 'Leeloo Menai...' when Cornelius Greats her !

Some traductions can only be made with the complete sentences...here they are:

You will notice that most of them have an exclamation mark at the end, that's for pronouciation
purposes...

Eto Akta Gamat!

Traducted by the Priest as 'Never without my permission'...but he tradudcted only 'Akta Gamat'
and not the 'Eto'...it also seems that the 'A' is pronouced 'Wha' with very small intonation and not
'Akta' but more like 'Whakta'

'Eto' might mean 'Kiss' or 'Kissing' since it seems she meant 'never kiss me without my permission
!'
Appipulai

Means 'Hi !' or 'Hello' or 'Bonjour'...the 'AI' is pronouced 'EYE'

Apipoussan

Means 'Goodbye' or 'Bye Bye'...this one comes from the script, and a lot of people think it is
Apipousont but it is NOT !

Envolet!

Simple French word that means 'the birds have flown the coop' or 'gone away' if you prefer !

Domo danko!

BTW, in Japanese, 'Domo' means 'Thank you' so...(thanks for the tip, Vincent !)... She says 'Danko'
to David, first when he gives her the clothes, and then 'Domo Danko', again while looking at the
clothes, so it obviously means 'Thank you !' and 'Thank you very much'

Dot!

She points to the monitor...should mean 'Here' or 'There'

Hoppi-hoppa

In the original script, and only in it, Leeloo asks Korben in the Shuttle going to Flhoston...'Do you
know how we say "make love"?'....Hoppi-Hoppa.

This bit was taken out because it would have changed the ending of the movie, since she is
supposed not to know what love is !...

Valo massa... Chacha Hamas.

'Hamas' is an arab word the means something like 'Cheerfull'. In the script, that what she says to
Korben after coming out of the Shower, all wet, after he wraps her in a towel and hold her close
to him...

Vano da, mechtaba?! Soun domo kala chon hammas!

There the 'Hammas' word has 2 'M' probably mening the opposite of the word

Hammas

see above ! Since that what she says after Cornelius hits Korben and renders him unconscious.

Ikset-kiba. Me imanetaba oum dalat!

Ouacra cocha o dayodomo binay ouacra mo cocha ferji akba ligounai makta keratapla

The first words...This is is transformation of the word 'Coche' in spanish meaning 'car'...She must
have been saying that her car/transport/ship had been attacked !

Ouacra cocha o dayodomo binay ouacra mo cocha ferji akba ligounai makta keratapla

Again from the first words...'Akbar' in Arabic means 'The Great' or 'Magnificient'...that might be
the translation !

Vano da, mechteba?

'da' meaning 'from' in Italian and 'Mechtaba' meaning 'Book in Turkish', she must have been saying
: Where did you learn that, in a book ?... (after Cornelius hits Korben on the head)

Tsouk

This is actually taken from the movie, and not from the script...since it sounds like the arabic word
'Chouff', meaning 'look', and since Leeloo says it while she shows her tatoo to Korben, there is no
doubt that this word means 'Look !'

Source: [Link]

Language Sources

Language sources

The language, upon close scrutiny, is sourced from a concoction of every language upon which
Besson could lay his hands; Japanese, German, French, and various other languages may be
noticed in parts of the spoken language by Jovovich in the film, eg, "Domo danko," spoken to the
character David by Leeloo after receiving clothing. "Domo" is obviously Japanese, while "danko"
is simply made by replacing the "e" in German's "danke" with an "o.".

Design principles

It seems to be a mixture of everything from French to Japanese to Aramaic and maybe even a hint
of English. From the looks, it's really just a complex cipher of French.

Interest of others

I'm unsure. I know that Luc Besson, the French writer/director, is responsible for the movie, but I
don't know if he's responsible for the language itself, or if he had someone else design it. Update
from IMDB: The language spoken by Leeloo was invented by director Luc Besson and further
refined by Milla Jovovich. By the end of filming they were able to have full conversations in this
language.

I managed to find some hidden phrases online that have not been included in this area but I want
everyone to know even if they have not explored the links I added. If not, please check them out.

"Caupo ruto welso brak." (I'll show you where.) I came across this while researching for other
phrases online in hopes of finding the rest of dictionary explaination/translations unknown to us
fans.

"Mu fryesh akta simoulai." meaning "The action that you just took is offensive to me, and I
consider it to be an evil act." or simply, "You shouldn't have done that; it was wrong."

Also, just so everyone knows, "Mlarta" was never pronounced as such on the movie. It was
"Oualarta" (Wah-lahr-tah).

Source: [Link]